Wallse

07/31/2008 Posted by msk83

Having lived in Vienna for a while, I have been scouring the city for a genuine Austrian place. Wallse is a beautiful, elegant restaurant with wonderful service and a WONDERFUL Austrian wine list - the menu is fine - to be honest, I just don't want to spend that much money for a Wiener Schnitzel, gussied up or not. The food was fine, but not quite worth the prices - however, the wine (again) was just amazing. We ordered a bottle of Pichler Riesling from Durnstein - a place I stayed in Austria - and the waiter, who wasn't even the sommelier, knew the exact hill that the vineyard was on where the wine was grown. (It was also the best bottle of Riesling I have ever had outside of Austria.) I would recommend going there and spending money on some appetizers and lots of wine - or just not expecting too much out of the food. However, for those who don't know Austrian food as well it could be a fun experience - oh, and the desserts are delicious.

Pros: wine list, staff, atmosphere

Cons: not the most exciting food

07/10/2008 Posted by shellyf

Six of us had an excellent meal at this restaurant. But it was a typical NY summer nilght: hot and muggy. We asked several times for the air conditioning to be increased but nothing happened. The doors stay open so any AC that does occur is swiftly dissapated. Finally we threatened to walk out and only then did they close the door and it became comfortable in this packed place. It boggles my mind that a place that has great food would provide a very uncomfortable dining experience. The fish dishes were very good and those that had the wiener schnitzel also said it was very good.

Pros: Excellent food

Cons: No air conditioning unless you demand it.

10/19/2007 Posted by wwcitizen

When the Michelin Guide for 2008 came out with Wallse as a one-star achiever, we were excited and booked a reservation (easy on Open Table!). While the food was good and representative of the Austrian palette, the atmosphere, ambiance, and service were pretty lousy. We'd probably go again on a MUCH slower day, but you should be sure to know what wine you want to pair with your foods because the sommelier is nowhere to be found - even when he has been promised to come to your table! The bartender was superb, however, and certainly knows her wines.

Pros: Bartender was very friendly and helpful

Cons: Table service left one desirous (very slow with drinks even!)

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful

09/01/2007 Posted by bgwnyc

Romantic with exceptionally good food, Wallse is a winner. The art, the room and the mood are romantic modern and warm. The staff pleasant and service near perfect. A fine selection of mostly Austrian wine give you a chance to try something new and are of high quality.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

02/19/2007 Posted by yippee1999

The decor and ambiance are really nice here. The restaurant is a nice size... not too big, not too small. Everything is just so... the tables are very nicely set, the flower arrangements beautiful. The food presentation was very nice. For brunch, I got tea that came in a beautiful glass teapot with the tea leaves immersed... sort of like a french press type thing, but for tea. I got the goulash entree, and while very tasty, and while the accompanying grain/pasta was very nice, the meat was pretty fatty. For dessert, I got the warm chocolate cake and a double espresso. Both were very good. Other than the fatty meat in my goulash, I'd be willing to give this place another try, only because everything else was so nicely done.

Pros: ambiance and decor

02/16/2007 Posted by i82much

I was expecting to be wowed by this place but was disappointed. I can't figure out why it's so difficult to get a reservation when the food is just so so. I started with soup that was a pretty colour but just needed a little more taste. I was hoping to say, "YUM, this is incredible." But, no. Good for a bland diet, though. The bowl in which it was served was larger than the table! Then I had weiner schnitzel. The portion size was also large, but that's not why I didn't finish it. It tasted like Kentucky fried chicken! The sides were just okay: potato salad w/dill, and a potato lattke. There was a plate of what looked like mayo that was the colour of Kermit the Frog. I have no idea what it was. Someone at the table next to ours said it was creamed spinach, but it was like eating a mouthful of mayo! I had the chocolate/coconut tart with marzipan sorbet for dessert. My date tasted it and said they had probably taken a Mounds bar and flattened it. The sorbet had absolutely no taste of marzipan. It wasn't creamy, just watery. But the best thing they served were the complimentary chocolate covered almonds at the end of the meal! Those I would give a few stars. But I still wouldn't go back to Wallse again.

Pros: The chocolate covered almonds at the end of the meal!

Cons: Bland food, ugly Julian Schnabel paintings, not warm and inviting

01/26/2007 Posted by clendenny

We enjoyed an exquisite meal on the coldest night of the year in New York. The restaurant was hopping, and unfortunately they misplaced a coat. What transpired next is a testament to the caliber of the dining experience that one will enyoy at Wallse: they gave us the coat check girl's coat! Fortunately, they located the coat as we were walking out, but the overall experience made the trip for a couple of Sydney-siders experiencing their first winter in NYC. Hats off to the beyond-the-call-of-duty staff at Wallse -- we can't wait to go back!

Pros: Food, service

Cons: Tight space / coat check

01/08/2007 Posted by gkao007

I've been twice last year. Once for dinner and once for sunday brunch. If someone had told me there would be a drastic difference between dinner service and brunch service, I would never have believed them in a million years. But as the saying goes, seeing is believing. My dinner experience was one of the best I've ever had in the city but how could their brunch be such a train wreck? Stale, flavorless, boring and seriously over-priced. Needless to say, never go to Wallse for a Sunday brunch. Unless you enjoy cutting up c-notes or watching them catch fire, money is hard earned and not worth their efforts.

Pros: Fantastic dinner menu

Cons: Train-wreck of a Sunday Brunch

11/14/2006 Posted by bigeater81

It was nice for a change that a restaurant lived up to the hype. Every part of the meal, from my Maine Lobster appetizer to my halibut were cooked to perfection. They really have a great sense of flavor, while keepign the food light and delicate. Definitely recommended.

08/23/2006 Posted by katie112

Not kidding - We had just finished a delicious meal at Wallse when a 2-3 inch exoskeleton (you know what kind) came walking across our table. We jumped and a busboy came over and grabbed it. About 5 minutes later another huge one came walking across the table and started walking up the wall to the ceiling (a waiter climbed onto the banquette and nabbed it). We were sitting near an open door, so it is possible that they walked in from the outside, but gross nonetheless. What was really bizarre is that we didn't get much of an apology. They didn't even offer us a free drink or anyhing as recompense. This (thankfully) has only happened to me once before, years ago at El Teddy's, which was a dive, but at least ET had the good sense to comp our drinks. The Wallse reaction to this left a lot to be desired - maybe they were just taken aback, but they should have dealt with it better Again, the food was great, as was the service up until the incident, but I won't be going back soon.